Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Gordon-Levitt began as a child actor, becoming known for his role on the series 3rd Rock from the Sun, and subsequently developing into adult roles, having strongly concentrated on independent films (including Brick and The Lookout) and receiving positive reviews for his performances. Jam! Showbiz has noted that Gordon-Levitt has "defied the cliched fates that befall most underage actors when they grow up", while The New York Times has described him as "one of the hottest young stars in the indie firmament".

Gordon-Levitt joined a musical theater group at the age of four, and played the scarecrow in a production of The Wizard of Oz. He was subsequently approached by an agent and began appearing on television and in commercials for Sunny Jim peanut butter, Cocoa Puffs, Pop-Tarts, and Kinney Shoes.

Gordon-Levitt's next role was in The Lookout, playing Chris Pratt, a janitor involved in a bank heist. The film was released on March 30, 2007. In reviewing the film, The Philadelphia Inquirer described Gordon-Levitt as a "surprisingly formidable, and formidably surprising, leading man", while New York magazine stated that he is a "major tabula rasa actor... a minimalist" and that his character works because he "doesn’t seize the space... by what he takes away from the character"; the San Francisco Chronicle specified that he "embodies, more than performs, a character's inner life". Several critics have suggested that his role in The Lookout will turn Gordon-Levitt to a mainstream actor. His upcoming films also include Killshot, playing an assassin opposite Diane Lane and Mickey Rourke, and Stop-Loss, directed by Kimberly Peirce and revolving around American soldiers returning from the Iraq War.

Gordon-Levitt has an apartment on the Lower East Side of New York City. He manages the website, "Hit Record", which features Escargots, a short feature that he created, and other works.